Archbishop’s Secret Appointment Claim Leaves Kerala CM V D Satheesan Red-Faced | Political Pulse News
Even as Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan has repeatedly asserted that community leaders should not dictate to his government, an admission by a Catholic Bishop seems to have sent a contrary signal.
The ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government was left red-faced after Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Archbishop Joseph Pamplany recently claimed that Revenue Minister Anil Kumar had appointed a person recommended by the Church to his ministerial staff.
Speaking at a function organised by the Thalassery archdiocese in a village in Kasaragod district Sunday, Pamplany said a delegation of bishops had met Kumar and asked him to induct a Christian representative in his staff.
“When we bishops met Minister Anil Kumar, we wanted him to take someone from among us (Christians) into his staff. The minister asked us to suggest a name (Catholic) from the Revenue Department and assured us that he would appoint our nominee. He kept his word and appointed our nominee as his secretary,” the Archbishop said.
He said the Church wanted someone familiar with land-related issues to be part of the Revenue Minister’s staff, especially to address problems faced by residents in the hilly regions. The appointment, he claimed, had helped pave the way for resolving several such issues.
His remarks, made in the presence of the minister, have triggered a political controversy, with critics questioning whether the appointment amounted to accommodating the interests of a particular religious community in the government.
The controversy comes amid allegations that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a UDF ally, has been exerting considerable influence over the government.
The appointment of ministerial staff is generally a political decision, with ministers and their respective parties having a say in the selection of both political appointees and government employees.
VHP files complaint
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has approached the Governor, seeking Kumar’s removal on the ground that the appointment amounted to a violation of his oath of office and secrecy.
In his complaint, VHP state general secretary and advocate Anil Vilayil alleged that the minister had shown favour to a particular religious community in making appointments to his staff, thereby enabling it to influence decisions concerning the Revenue Department.
The BJP has not officially reacted to the controversy, even as it seeks to strengthen its outreach to the Christian community in Kerala.
However, Hindu Aikya Vedi president R V Babu criticised the appointment, alleging that it reflected the “preferential treatment” extended to minority communities.
In a Facebook post, Babu said the Archbishop’s remarks suggested that the minister had appointed a person recommended by the Church to protect the interests of Christians in the high-range areas. He questioned whether a minister would similarly accommodate the recommendation of a Hindu community organisation.
Kumar, meanwhile, sought to play down the controversy, saying that it was natural for people to make recommendations for appointments. The government, however, took the final decision after assessing a candidate’s suitability and efficiency, he said. The minister declined to comment further on the Archbishop’s statement.
Satheesan’s past stand
The controversy has also put the spotlight on CM Satheesan’s past stance on the role of religious and community organisations in politics.
During the tenure of former CM Oommen Chandy (2011-2016), Satheesan, then a Congress dissident, had been critical of what he described as the Church’s interference in the party’s affairs in the state. He had argued that political decisions should be left to parties and questioned whether religious leaders would accept political leaders interfering in the appointment and transfer of priests.
As the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Keralam Assembly between 2021 and 2026, Satheesan also repeatedly criticised community organisations, including the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), accusing them of resorting to “pressure tactics” to influence political decisions.
